The Annunciation

Domenikos Theotokopoulos was nicknamed "El Greco2 in Spain because he was from Greece. The painter was born on the island of Crete, which belonged to Venice at the time, and the influence of his Venetian training is very apparent.

He studied in Venice and Rome, and later decided to come to Spain, where King Philip II was building the monastery of El Escorial, in the hope that he might be hired as one of the painters commissioned to decorate it. But the monarch did not like El Greco’s style, and he finally settled in Toledo, where he received numerous commissions and was to spend the rest of his life.

El Greco’s style changed, evolving towards more elongated, Mannerist figures. This picture however, belongs to his earlier Italian period, and we can see the influence of the Venetian painting style of Tintoretto and Titian, both in the rich colours and in the clothing and tiles that highlight the perspective. The hands are highly expressive, showing the Virgin’s fear and surprise, and the angel’s adoration.


(c) (R) 2013, MUSMon com S.L.
Text (a) Catalina Serrano Romero

Picture
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Author: DcoetzeeBot
Permission: This artwork is in the public domain: The author of this artwork died more than 70 years ago. According to E.U. Copyright Law, copyright expires 70 years after the author's death. In other countries, legislation may differ.